good morning. fiscal cliff hanger, lawmakers scrambling to make a deal to keep sharp tax increases an spending cuts from taking effect in 36 hours. can washington get it done? we'll find out where the president stands as he talks exclusively to nbc news. moments of impact. dramatic new images of the moment when a passenger jet crashed off the runway in russia on to a roadway killing four people. ♪ and, fishy thing, this london fishmonger whose sales pitch has turned him into an internet sensation.

the viral video that has millions of people around the world hooked, today, sunday, december 30th, 2012. from nbc news this is "today" with lester holt and erica hill i'm erica hill. >> i'm carl quintanilla. >> all eyes on washington. a number of americans wondering this morning why lawmakers have not yet been able to reach a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. president obama spoke exclusively to nbc's david gregory. we are going to get a preview of what he has to say just ahead. >> it has been just two weeks since the tragedy of sandy hook elementary in connecticut. a teenager in california wrote a

poem to express her feelings saying she understood how it could happen and it got her suspended from school. we'll get her reaction coming up we'll also hear from the 29-year-old surfer that used his fists and his board to save his life when a shark kept coming at him again and again. >> scary story. later on, we'll switch gears and look back at the year in pop culture, from the rise of honey boo boo to the unlikely bop lairity of that catchy tune, gang ham style. >> slightly popular, wasn't it? we begin with the race in washington to fist fiscal cliff deadline including a preview of david gr david gregory's exclusive interview. we begin with kristen welker. >> the house is back in session and they could announce a deal as early as this afternoon. many saying this entire episode represents a lack of leadership

on both sides of pennsylvania. with less than 48 hours until the tax hikes and spending cuts take effect, florida small business owner, gary simmons, is watching what happens in washington closely. >> it could directly impact our business if people do not have the extra dollars to come shopping. that hurts business. >> reporter: it is a frustration that is being felt coast to coast and christmas shoppers in california sound off. >> potentially, it will affect the middle class, which i am the most, right now. that's disappointing to me. >> reporter: with public pressure mounting, key staffers worked behind closed doors trying to hammer out a last-minute deal. in his weekly radio address, the president said, if lawmakers can't find a compromise, they should put his plan up for a vote. >> i will urge the senate to hold an up or down vote on i abasic package that protects the middle class and extends unemployment insurance and lays the ground for future progress on more economic growth and

deficit reduction. >> reporter: in the republican response, missouri senator, roy blunt, called the president's plan the wrong way forward. >> the president's proposal to raise taxes on the top 2% of americans won't pay one-third of the annual interest now owed on this massive 16 trillion dollar debt. >> reporter: sources closest to the talk tell harry reid and mitch mcconnell are working to draft a plan that will include extending unemployment benefits and keeping 30 million americans from paying the alternative minimum tax and allowing taxes to increase on the wealthiest americans. this remains a major sticking point for many republicans. some say a small deal is better than no deal at all but represents a lack of leadership. >> they haven't taken any of the hard measures to bring spending down and reform entitlements and raise more revenues. >> reporter: now, late saturday,

negotiators continued to haggle over a number of issues, particularly the issue of taxes. republican leader, mitch mcconnell, was spotted at the capital. when asked if they would reach a deal, he told reporters, quote, i hope so. erica? >> many americans hoping so too. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." good morning. >> good morning, erica. >> you sat down with an exclusive interview with the president. did he seem optimistic to you? >> he says he is optimistic but really preparing to play hardball. his own approach, plan "b," is a small deal to get an extension of the middle class tax cuts and do very little else. the fight over the debt continues into the new year just weeks ahead over the debt limit. this is, in effect, something he feels so strongly about doing now. you go back months and months and months, the feeling in the

white house is if they win the election, they are going to get their tax increase on wealthier americans. there is a feeling the president has to step back from that, to compromise on that key point would be a failure of leadership. >> talking about the stop gap, you are mentioning it here. the one thing mentioning would be spending cuts, which is going to make it very difficult to get any votes from the house and gop. how does that happen then? >> well, it becomes very difficult. i think that becomes a bigger story. the president and other white house advisers would argue that if you deal with the tax question, you take a big bite out of the fiscal cliff and there are some ways that perhaps they can delay some of the damage of these automatic spending cuts, half of which occur in defense. a lot of republicans accusing the president of wanting to go over the cliff because he would be happy with a lot of these cuts, particularly in defense. there is no question they are going to have to come back as they try to raise the debt ceiling in a matter of weeks. some of the spending cut issues have to be dealt with.

the president is insistent he is not going to compromise without being part of a broader, more balanced plan. the real drivers of the debt, social security and more importantly, medicare, is something that may be elusive in terms of being on the table. that's what has to be on the table but they are so far away in dealing with that. >> there is a lot of frustration among the american people. this fiscal cliff was created to avoid what we are seeing now, to spur congress to act. if we get to this point and they still have not gotten things done, what is to say anything will get done? how do you get congress to do their job? >> and the white house. everybody has a role. that question is the right question. it is one that i talk about with the president in the interview this morning. he has a very ambitious second-term agenda. i don't know how he gets it done when they can't get the basic things done over the budget. these philosophical differences

over taxes and spending remain. they are more entrenched. this is what i think changed. i think a second-term president obama will work harder to jam up the republicans, not to confuse them or lure into compromise but to put more political pressure on them to expose their divisions and internal discord. whether that creates leverage, we'll see. his relationship with congress has been very difficult. his view is that he doesn't have a legitimate partner. how do you get something done on immigration? on medicare reform, and gun control legislation, which the president says is a priority which requires a great deal of political help? it seems to be shorter than four years, in what the president can do in a time period before mid-term elections. >> a lot of things on the agenda. thanks, again. you can see david's entire

interview with president obama this morning on "meet the press." good morning, jenna, for a check of the other top stories stunning new pictures are out of a plane crash just outside moscow. home video shows the moment of impact, debris shooting out and hitting cars on the highway. the plane crashed saturday morning, splitting into pieces, bursting into flames and killing four people in the process. mother nature getting one last widespread winter storm in before the end of the year. the second big one has blanketed most of the northeast and upper ohio river valley in snow. in pittsburgh, some people pulled out skis to get around town while their neighbors struggled. in boston, no cars for you. a parking ban. people braved wintry weather for hours to honor the two new york firefighters that lost their lives in an ambush on christmas eve. nearly 6,000 people, many of them fellow firefighters

traveled to the town of webster from as far away as california to take part in the service. the neighbor charged with supply the ex-con shooter with guns say they were actually stolen from her. the showdown over guns in america is taking center stage in northern virginia. scores of gun owners are being met by scores of anti-gun activists at one of the largest gun shows. sales of the bushmaster semiautomatic rifle are brisk driven by fear congress will install the man. an arrest in the second subway bush death this month. she told them she shoved the victim off and to his death because she hates muslims since september 11th. 31-year-old erica menendez could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted. 50 american troops are helping u.s. citizens and diplomates evacuate the central african republic.

president obama ordered the evacuation after heavy criticism of the administration security response for the september 11th attack in benghazi. george h.w. bush is out of intensive care and in a regular room in houston. a spokesman says his condition is improving. the 88-year-old has been hospitalized for more than a month with complications related to bronchitis on december 31st, 1907, the first big ball drop took place in times square and somewhere back then a newscaster sat at a desk and talked about preparations. nothing has changed. the famous crystal ball is ready to drop and ring in 2013. the party planers leave nothing to chance. they tested the confetti in times square and packed on to broadway to watch the ball drop. >> there was no tv, big anchor desk or "today" show. in 1997, a newscaster was like,

you will be doing weather. the ball is dropping pretty soon. >> how do you test confetti? >> do you hold it here and let it go? >> they cut up 1 million pieces an standout side their apartment and drop it. >> jenna, thanks. in the meantime, dylan dreyer is here with a check of weather. it is going to be cold? >> it certainly is cold. confetti falls no matter what. it will get tossed in the wind. year's eva cross most of the country. and you see the dotted line stretching across the country, and that's your line below freezing. and we are looking at more snow, and this time around it's in the middle of the country, and you can see as it moves through the next 48 hours, we will see rain move into arkansas and snow across nebraska, and that will be on the ground, 1 to 3 inches for new year's day.

here is a peek out your window. >> our temperatures are rather chilly around here. we are all in the 30s, at the freezing mark or slightly above, but our story will be the windchill caused by the gusting winds. 31 miles per hour in manassas, and that's sending our windchills down into the 20s. feels like 28 degrees in d.c., and feels like 24 in frederick, and feels like 22 in that is your latest forecast. carl? >> dylan, thanks. it has been just over two weeks since the tragedy of sandy hook elementary school in connecticut. a high school senior from california is facing expulsion after writing a poem about the shooting. is her school going too far. the story from diana alviar. >> i understand the killings in connecticut. i know why he pulled the driger. >> reporter: courtney web writes a poem to express her feelings.

some are happy. some are sad but this poem was considered a threat by her school. the teen was suspended. >> i feel like i've really been made to almost look like a monster by my school. i don't appreciate that at all. >> reporter: courtney says she was trying to express her belief that tragedies like sandy hook happen because people feel helpless. >> i was shocked and hurt at the same time that they would think that i would even think of hurting anybody. >> reporter: a teacher found the poem and turned it over to administrators who told courtney's stunned mother, valerie, her daughter had been suspended. >> she wasn't threatening herself. she didn't threaten the school. she didn't threaten anybody. >> we were unable to reach anyone at life learning academy for comment. the school's letter to courtney's mom says her poem violated the school's zero-tolerance policy towards violence. >> we found a note that

contained deeply concerning feelings related to the newtown, connecticut. her mother says she had every right to express herself. >> i feel that it is actually a violation of her freedom of speech. >> reporter: a first amendment expert, an attorney, jonathan capp, agreed. >> if we can't talk about this whole incident, we are not going to understand what makes these people tick who load up their guns and kill a massive number of people. >> reporter: it is not over. the high school senior faces possible expulsion. her mother says she is praying for a positive outcome. >> i would like for my daughter to continue her education, to graduate on time and to be able to write and continue to write like she has been doing. >> reporter: as for courtney, she says she is using this experience to become a better writer. >> you have to have gone through

things in your life to be able to express yourself in creative ways. i think this incident inspires me to speak my mind even more. >> reporter: she has even written a new poem titled judgment. up next on "today," is he the next psy? why a man who is speaking about fish is making a huge flash online right after this. at way to get your family together for breakfast. in fact, they might work too well. [ ding! ] [ shuffling, scooting ] [ clears throat ] [ children laugh ] [ female announcer ] golden, crispy outside. warm and fluffy inside. we are one good-looking family. [ children laugh ] [ female announcer ] eggo waffles. simply delicious. time for citi price rewind. because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing.

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one day george got an important letter. he's built a rocket ship to travel into space." google, how far is earth to the moon? the moon is 238,900 miles... "the great moment had come." 3, 2, 1... [ giggling ] we know the old adage, if you give a man a fish for a day, he eats. if you teach him to fish, he eats for life. >> for your video to go viral in 2012, you needed some crazy dance moves. ♪ >> reporter: a chorus that stays in your head all day.

♪ >> reporter: or you could just try being really cute. the common theme, be so funny, so catchy that the moment someone sees your video, they just have to pass it along. you might be hitting send on this guy. ♪ >> reporter: mohammed nazir wanted to attract customers to his london fish market. so he came up with a catchy song. it was so popular, he was signed by warner music and turned his song into a video. ♪ >> reporter: it's attracted him worldwide fame with more than 10 million hits. >> i was thinking i'm in a dream. it's a dream. i think someone touches me and i will wake up. please, don't touch me.

i don't want to wake up. >> reporter: his dream has been interrupted by having to return to pakistan to get a visa. at least he received a hero's welcome with news channels breaking into the coverage. the government has lifted its ban on youtube so pakistani's could see their newest star. >> reporter: it's so sweet, it's short. it's just something you would want to pass on to someone to help them get through the day. >> reporter: he has promised a big return but he has a long way to go if he wants to catch up with gangnam style's 1 billion views. at least he got those customers buying fish. for today, duncan golistani, london. >> it is a long way to 1 million hits. >> at one point, you keep on growing from there. i also think it sounds like a great deal on fish. one pound for fish, not even a couple bucks still to come, reality tv's

breakout star, honey boo boo and the other pop culture standouts of 2012 but first these messages. plus a 50% annual bonus. and everyone...but her likes 50% more cash. but i'm upping my game. do you want a candy cane? yes! do you want the puppy? yes! do you want a tricycle? yes! do you want 50 percent more cash? no! ♪ festive. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card gives you 1% cash back on every purchase plus a 50% annual bonus on the cash you earn. it's the card for people who like more cash. what's in your wallet? here's a better idea. pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits in just 15 minutes the light delicate layers add a layer of warmth to your next dinner. pillsbury grands biscuits let the making begin. [ sad music playing ] [ knock on door ] your bags, sir. both: finally!

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still ahead, the australian surfer attacked by a shark speaks out about how he escaped from its jaws. >> a very lucky young man. did you ever read mad magazine? jenna is going to take us behind the scenes of that magazine that is now 60 years old. >> hard to believe. >> first, these messages. ♪ ♪

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good morning. it's sunday, december 30th, 2012. i am richard jordan. making news today police arrested a 22-year-old man in

connection of the death of stringfellow. police say the suspect and the victim planned to meet. a candlelight vigil is planned for tonight. time is running out for lawmakers to come to a deal to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. in less than 48 hours taxes will go up for a majority of americans and spending will be slashed if they do not reach a compromise. and the redskins take on the dallas cowboys tonight in a winner take all match for the title. a loss could put the playoffs on the line. can you catch the game right here on nbc 4. today the emancipation proclamation goes on display at the national archives. they are going on display as part of the document's 150th

anniversary. the time of the exhibit runs through tuesday. we will check your forecast next. stay with us.

the snow is gone, but we are dealing with some pretty wicked winds out there. that will be the headline on the weather forecast, and we have kim martucci for details on that. >> today would be a good day to wear earmuffs and a hat. it will be windy outside. the sun is returning and we see some of it outside our studios, and the temperatures will not be responding too much, and the gusts to 30 will make it feel like the 20s. and it will be clear tomorrow morning, and the winds will relax. 21-26 will be the wake up temperature on monday morning, and then monday morning will cloud up and stay dry. new year's eve, i see clouds but no wet weather moving in, and

that's good news here. look at the cold first week of the new year returns, and highs in the 30s pretty much all next week. pretty cold out there. >> stick around for a full hour of we are back on this sunday morning, december 30th, 2012. a great crowd here at the plaza this morning. it is the final sunday of the year. i'll bet a lot of these folks are getting to party in times square tomorrow night. >> yes. we'll be able to hear them on the way down here. we want to wish everybody a happy new year early in advance. coming up this half hour, a story we told you about yesterday. by the way, i'm carl quintanilla. lester is off. a surfer whose quick thinking got him out of a shark attack. this shark had met him a couple of different times.

we will explain why he got away and why this attack will not keep him out of the water. >> which is always amazing to me that they want to go back in. we will get some tips from you for planning the perfect new year's eve party from the master. who better than the barefoot contessa. she graciously invited me into her home. a behind the scenes look at how she works her magic. one of the greatest days ever. we'll share more on that with you. >> have you ever read mad magazine? >> of course. >> it is still around. it recently turned 60 years old. i recently visited the office to find out how they keep their spoof and sat tire from getting old. they have incredible writers. we are going to bring it to you in a little bit. this has been an unbelievable year in pop culture

from the "50 shades of gray" to honey boo boo. we are finishing off the year on the cold side. a very chilly morning. we are going to see new new ye be a little chilly as well. today the snow showers is on the backside of the storm system here yesterday. and those are lake-effect snow showers at this point and a few scattered snow showers out west and texas, too, and for your new year's eve, confetti and all, and the plains will get 1 to 3 inches of snow, and more rain showers from arkansas down into the gulf coast, and a little white stuff on the ground in the plains as we head into new year's day. and you are from florida, and how are you handling the cold? >> good. >> i like that. that's a look at your weather across the country, and now here

is a look out your window. >> winds are already gusting up around 28 miles per hour, so the 38 degrees doesn't quite feel that warm. here is more local metro temperatures for you. and it's 37, and the windchills, that's the big story. it feels like 22 in martinsburg, and 28 is the feel-like number in d.c. make plans today to bundle up, tonight is sunday night "football night in america." winner takes all, cowboys taking on the redskins at fedex field. weather will not be an issue but it will be a little code, mostly clear, 27-32 degrees for your sunday night "football night in america." you can always get your new year's eve and new year's day forecast any time at weather.com. carl? >> thank you. a 29-year-old man, lucky to be arrive, after a shark attack,

did not once, not twice but three times off the coast of australia. the survivor is speaking out about how he got away. craig melvin has his remarkable story. >> reporter: luke allen nearly died. he was having a good time paddle boarding with friends near a group of dolphins when suddenly, a 6 1/2 foot bull shark came out of nowhere. >> to be whacked from underneath and the bull shark got my leg. >> reporter: frightened and facing death, the 29-year-old used his board to save his life. >> i just hit him as hard as i could in the nose and then once he released, i tried to hit him with the pointy end. >> two, three. >> reporter: the shark took a serious bite out of his leg and also chewed off part of his left index finger and severely damaged another. to stop the bleeding, his friends used the ropes from their board to fashion a tourniquet and help him. he was airlifted to a nearby

hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. >> he didn't come back for more. >> reporter: this year, two fatal shark attacks in april. a great white kill aid father of two scuba diving. another great white killed an australian surfer. shark attack deaths hit a high but they are still quite rare. >> everybody in the ocean should be respectful that they are in the wilderness. it is also very clear, given the number of people in the ocean and the amount of time we spend there versus the vanishingly number of attacks, it is a very, very small risk. >> here in america, 29 shark attacks last year but zero fatalities. >> reporter: he believes the odds are in his favor. >> i don't know of anyone that's been attacked twice. >> reporter: for today, craig melvin, nbc news. >> here is erica. millions of viewers have

watched ina garden effortlessly whip up a dinner party on her show, "the barefoot contessa". she is out with her eighth book and i was lucky enough getting an inside peek at her life at home. >> there is a reason why a dinner party is called entertaining. it is supposed to be like theater. >> reporter: she hasn't always been foolproof in the kitchen. when we were first married, a long time ago, i made some things from a cookbook that was like ground beef and corn casserole, which was not a good dinner. >> sort of like shepherd's pie. >> just dreadful. >> thankfully, she didn't give up. >> is there an average length of time for you that it takes until you say, i have mastered it and i can share the recipe with people. >> sometimes it is two or three times and sometimes it is like 25 times. sometimes it takes a day or two and sometimes it takes two

weeks. i have this thing in my head that says, i'm looking for this texture and this flavor and until i get that, i'm going to keep going. >> reporter: that obsession is a blessing for her friends who often find themselves around her kitchen table. she tells me, it is her favorite place to entertain. >> the perfect party is five people sitting around the kitchen table. it is not like a fancy thing for 18 people. i like to serve in the kitchen at the table in the kitchen, because i can cook and serve it and i never have to leave the party. >> reporter: those now famous dinner parties startedous as a break from her day job at the white house. >> you are working in the white house. you are writing about nuclear energy budgets, is that correct? >> hard to imagine but, yes. >> reporter: at the same time, you start to give lots of dinner parties and having people in your home. they were your guinea pigs. >> they were. i worked my way through julia charles, mastering the art of

french cooking. i learned how to cook from that. i left the budget behind. now, you get to make shortbread, which is so much better. >> i start with a quarter of pound of butter, room temperature, very important and a cup of sugar. >> reporter: what is your typical weekend morning like? >> jeffrey likes to write so i usually work on recipes. i will go to the barn and work on a recipe that's been bothering me, have friends to dinner. >> reporter: for the holidays, the routine doesn't change much except with time to ring in the new year and the party moves from long island to paris. >> i always make something really simple like pasta with white truffles or lemon capallini with caviar. it takes ten minutes to make aund can make it at mitt night

with a little glass of champagne and cheese. >> reporter: do you ever make resolutions? >> i think you make them until you are 20 and decide you are never going to do them anyway. why make yourself up happy. >> we go for a long walk on new year's day and go for special lunch at jules vern and the ooifl tower. a year in pop culture, including some a-list makeups and breakups right after this. [ male announcer ] introducing centrum flavor burst adult multivitamins...

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thank you. ♪ [ female announcer ] holiday cookies are a big job. everything has to be just right. perfection is in the details. ♪ get to holiday fun faster with pillsbury cookie dough. get to holiday fun faster he is a good little monkey and always very curious. one day george got an important letter. he's built a rocket ship to travel into space." google, how far is earth to the moon? the moon is 238,900 miles... "the great moment had come." 3, 2, 1...

[ giggling ] ♪ i got it made, i got it made ♪ ♪ i got it made fresh at subway ♪ ♪ breakfast made the way i say ♪ [ male announcer ] at subway, you got it made. try a steak, egg white & cheese, tricked out any way you want. subway. eat fresh. trust duracell to power their donated toys? duralock power preserve. it locks in power for up to 10 years in storage. guaranteed. duracell with duralock. trusted everywhere. a look back in the year in pop culture from the biggest breakout reality star to the book that everybody is talking about to an unlikely vifl viral

video. >> i want to hear for breakout stars in general. atlanta thompson, six years old, better known as honey boo boo, she might have topped the cake. >> honey boo boo child topped the cake. >> why did we fall in love with this young girl? >> people were tuning in because it was reality tv gone bad. the family loves each other, funny, ridiculous. you watch one episode, you can't stop watching. >> some call it offensive, some call it outrageous. in the end, people say it is about love. it is loveable. >> i think snooki is asking a lot of the questions you are. i used to be famous like this. people love this. this is authentic. you can't fake that. it is just authentic. they really do love each other, they are real people, like it or not, unvarnished to say the least.

you can't help but be a voiier when you are watching also, "50 shades of grey." what is it about "fifty shades of grey" that people couldn't put this down. >> there is something about christian grey. i read the books back to back. don't look at me like that. >> all three of them. >> there is something about christian grey and the story behind it, e.l. texts on her blackberry while going to work at her job. it gives us all hope. she was doing something she didn't love and she has changed the face of books. >> it is like knowing that your parents had sex once or twice. you don't want to think about it. i don't want to know who is reading it, when, why. it makes me uncomfortable. >> tmi. celebrity couples, chris

brown and rihanna at the laker game the other day. good or bad? >> i don't know many people that would say this is good. it has disaster written all over it for everyone in a lot of ways. if anything were to happen, this was horrible for rihanna and over for chris brown if anything would happen. i done think anyone is rooting for these two. >> they tweet a lot but there is a whole back story we don't know a lot about. >> there is rumors that he was with his ex-girlfriend. is he really with rihanna? >> i don't know how this is good for anybody, her image, his image, love conquers all. >> everyone is watching them. it is not going to be easy even if they truly love and care about each other. >> they sort of play this in the media. there seems to be an element of that. >> they do it all the time. you don't go to a lakers game and sit right in front unless you want everybody to talk about it. >> that doesn't make rihanna look smart. >> i don't think she cares

anymore. >> robert pattinson, was that constructed? >> i don't think it was. the whole thing was so odd. the pictures, the statement, i loved him, i left him. i'm so sorry. we never saw a cheating scandal like this ever. i've never seen a statement like that ever. >> i never saw the chemistry, to be honest. i didn't see them getting along really well. they just looked at each other a lot. >> are you not buying the makeup? >> they have to make nice for the film but now they are on their own professionally and personally. >> lindsay lohan, this is supposed to be a come back for her. "liz and dick" was supposed to be the big thing and they she gets hit with an assault charge. >> every year, i think this is going to be her come back surge. several arrests this year. you want her to do well but she gets in her own way every sing time. >> she makes bad choices. >> i don't think she had any business playing liz taylor. i don't think she had a lot of

choices. i would love for you and i to be here in 2013 saying, this is the year she made her comeback. a lot of times people were saying drew barrymore was having a difficult comeback time. >> thank you guys. up next, speaking of pop culture, we will celebrate 60 years of sattire with "mad" magazine. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone deserves the gift of all day pain relief. this season, discover aleve. all day pain relief with just two pills.

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there is one publication you can count on to poke fun at authority and the biggest moments in pop culture, "mad" magazine. >> it has entertained generation

after generation. six decades later, it has readers laughing. >> i have been reading this magazine since i was a kid. i probably didn't understand half of what i was reading. i loved the artwork and the pictures. i always looked forward to the latest issue. i wanted to see what the fold-in would turn into. so this visit was quite the treat. it is a mad, mad, mad, mad world out tear. most of it courtesy of alfred e. newman, the face, the farce, and oftentimes the funny bone behind the iconic, satirical magazine. >> who is alfred e. newman. >> a lot of speculation about that. there was a dentist in topeka, kansas. he would take out billboards pointing to the missing tooth and saying, don't be worried, it didn't hurt a bit. >> if it is satire you are craving, get "mad." >> this one, always a crowd

pleaser. you cannot beat up trump enough. this is one of my favorites. the stupid pun for star wars. there is monica in the blue dress, clinton and hillary. >> john has been their editor for years. >> i started writing in seventh grade. i sent it in and this went on until i was out of college and i finally got accepted. >> this was your destiny. >> this was my destiny, i guess. the main appeal is that we don't take ourselves too seriously. >> which is why the magazine has survived in the age of closing publication. >> "mad" has made a point of saying, don't take anything you hear at face value. don't accept authority because it is authority. think for yourself. it raised several generations of

sceptics to stand back and say, do i really believe this? >> reporter: it began as a comic book, 60 years later, the magazine is as much art as it is pardy. content. >> each writer has a language of their own. >> 91-year-old cartoonist, al jaffe is the longest running contributor. he created the famous fold-in in 1964. >> it showed goldwater and rockefeller and said, who really wants to be president in this picture? you fold it and it turned into richard nixon. >> al, how would you describe your artwork? >> it is just what pours out of my twisted mind. >> today, matt continues to poke fun at everyone from politicians to celebrities. a stamp that you have earned your place in pop culture. >> this is our celebrity snaps. over the years, many celebrities

would put their photo in holding "mad" generally when they are in the issue. it just came in from the printer, a new issue coming out. >> why look. >> stop it, stop it. this is wonderful. even if it is just for a day, it feels pretty good to be in such great company. >> look at that. >> keeping with ridiculous, i like it. the current issue of "mad" is a tribute to the world's dumbest people, 2012. get this for your nephew and nieces and get it for yourself. you also may want to pick up this special edition on store shelves quite yet. >> that's the one i want. >> stop it, stop it, stop it. >> i was so excited. nice to see you guys. thanks for being here. >> we'll be right back after these messages. one day george got an important letter.

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♪ hope you guys have a great new year. >> that does it for us on this sunday morning. >> thanks for being with us. have a great day. as we say good-bye, here is a look at some of the names of

those that we lost this year. ♪ ♪

♪ game time versus decision time. a busy morning in the washington region. >> we are live at fedex field where the redskins play for the division title. plus, big action on capitol hill today, and could they avert the fiscal cliff. and it's sunday, december 30th, 2012. let's talk about the redskins. get ready, fans. today could be a day that either makes or breaks the burgundy and gold. they face the dallas cowboys and everything is on the line. >> winning means clinching the east and a spot in the playoffs, and we h